Joe Keim

About Joe Keim: Joe Keim was born and raised in an Old Order Amish community in Ashland, Ohio. After a season of confusion, Joe followed tradition and joined the church. However, soon after joining the church, he was unhappy with all the church rules and decided to leave the Amish. While living in a world outside the Amish culture, a friend shared the gospel with Joe and he got saved. In turn, Joe shared his faith with Esther and she also accepted the Lord into her life. Soon thereafter, they decided to return to their Amish community.

Upon returning to their Amish roots, Joe and Esther got married. As time went by, they read their Bibles and eventually concluded that they would have to leave their friends, family, and the Amish community in order to serve the Lord in freedom and grace. In 1987, they loaded up their belongings and moved into town where they started attending an English church and using their God-given abilities to serve wherever they could. In 1999, God called Joe into full-time ministry to the Amish people. Today, he serves as executive director and founder of Mission to Amish People.

Joe Keim's Speaking Engagements: Joe has traveled all over the country speaking in more than 500 churches, colleges, hospitals, and public schools. His goal is to present the Mission to Amish People and bring an awareness of who the Amish are in America.

MY PEOPLE, THE AMISH: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMISH FATHER AND SON (2017): In this memoir, Joe Keim paints a detailed picture of life behind the bonnets and buggies. More than an autobiography, this is an honest look at the heart-warming traditions that mingle with the deep-rooted legalism of the Amish community in Ashland, Ohio.

Born, raised, and baptized in an Old Order Amish church, from childhood Joe Keim was taught that if he didn't follow the twenty-two-page ordinance letter that governed his community, he would not be allowed in heaven. What started as a path of rebellion led Joe and his wife Esther to a caring group of Englisher Christians who would love them like family and show them how to live out their new-found faith in Jesus Christ.

Nine months after their traditional Amish wedding, Joe and Esther left family and friends forever to live openly for Christ, and endured shunning and excommunication with bold faith. Since then, the Lord has brought many former Amish people to Joe and Esther for help. Because of their passion for the Amish people and with the support of fellow believers, they have brought biblical truth to thousands of Amish through the ministry they founded in 2000, Mission to Amish People (MAP).

WHAT DO THE AMISH BELIEVE? (2016): While they are certain concerning church doctrine, few Amish and conservative Mennonite individuals know what they believe about important biblical topics. While that made compiling this book a bit challenging, the authors, including Joe Keim, drew heavily from The Dordrecht Confession of Faith and also communicated with Anabaptists of today to make sure they accurately portrayed what the majority of plain people believe.

Each chapter focuses on one important biblical topic, and is essentially an Amish and Mennonite systematic theology study. In addition, each section includes a closer look at what the Bible teaches concerning each topic, making this an informative resource for those who wish to know more about the plain people, and a helpful book for Anabaptists who wish to better understand what they themselves are being taught and believe.